Xiaomi’s “Other” folder: What it is, why it grows and how to clean

Have you ever looked into your Xiaomi store settings and wondered why the Other partition takes up tens of gigabytes when you didn't consciously save anything there? This mysterious category is one of the most common causes of memory shortages on the brand's smartphones. Unlike obvious folders like Photos, Videos or Apps, the content of the Other is hidden from the user's eyes, but can eat up to 30-50% of the total internal memory.

In this article, we will go into detail about what exactly is hidden under the “Other” label in MIUI, why this partition grows over time and how to safely clean it without the risk of deleting system files or losing important data. You will learn about hidden caches, logs, temporary files and other “invisible” artifacts that accumulate in the system. And we will give a checklist for memory optimization that will help you return precious gigabytes without flashing or resetting.

Spoiler: 90 percent of the time, The Other is not garbage, but useful (but poorly organized) data, and it can be cut manually or with built-in MIUI tools if you know where to look. Let's start with the main thing: what does this mysterious category even include?

What’s hidden under the “Other” in Xiaomi’s storage?

In the MIUI operating system (the Android shell from Xiaomi), the “Other” category is a container for all files that do not fall into the standard sections (Applications, Media, Documents, etc.).

• 📁 Application cache and system cache are temporary files that are created to speed up the operation of programs (for example, image thumbnails, web page data in the browser, messenger cache).
• 📝 System logs and dumps are debugging files that are generated during crashes, updates or for diagnostics (e.g. logcat, anr, tombstones).
• 🔄 Temporary files – remnants from application installation (.apk), under-quality updates, artifacts from the work of the file manager.
• 🖼️ Hidden media files – thumbnails, gallery previews, album covers that are not displayed in the main folder Photos».
• 📱 User profile data – files of secondary accounts (for example, for work or guest mode).
• 🔒 Encrypted files – application data protected through MIUI (For example, notes in the Notepad with a password).

The other feature is that MIUI doesn't show its contents in the file manager by default. Even if you turn on the hidden file display (Settings → Further → Show Hidden Files), some of the data will remain invisible - it can only be seen through ADB or third-party utilities like DiskUsage.

Why is this section growing? The main reasons are:

• 🔄 Automatic updates to apps – Google Play and MIUI Download new versions of programs in the background, leaving old files.
• 📱 Failures and crashes – when applications fall, the system creates memory dumps that are not automatically deleted.
• 🎮 Games with large cash - titles like Genshin Impact or PUBG Mobile can leave gigabytes of temporary files.
• 📸 Media processing – applications like Google Photos or Gallery MIUI They generate miniatures and previews that are not always cleaned.

How do you check what is in the “Other”?

Before you clean the Other, you need to understand what files are stored there. MIUI has built-in analysis tools, but they only show the big picture. You need third-party tools to parse it in detail.

Method 1: Built-in storage analysis

Open Settings → About Phone → Storage (or Settings → Storage in newer versions of MIUI) Here you will see a diagram of memory distribution. Click on "Other" and the system will show approximate composition:

• 📁 Application cache (usually) 1-5 GB).
• 📄 Uploaded files (remainders from the browser, messengers).
• 🔧 System data (logs, dumps, temporary files).

The downside of this method is that MIUI does not show the exact paths to the files, so you can’t delete anything specific through this interface.

Method 2: File Manager with root rights

If you have root access, use Root Explorer or Solid Explorer to view hidden folders:

/data/data/ – cache and application data


/data/log/ - System Logic




/data/tombstones/ - Failure dumps




/data/media/0/ – User files (including hidden files)

Without root, many folders will be unavailable, but even so you can see some of the junk.

Method 3: Third-party applications

Utilities like DiskUsage, Storage Analyzer, or Files by Google scan memory and show which files take up the most space, such as Files by Google, which has a Cleanup section where you can see:

• 🗑️ Unnecessary APK (residue).
• 📁 Duplicate files.
• 🔍 Large files (for example, logs of hundreds of megabytes).

💡

If you use Files by Google, enable Storage Analysis in your settings – it will show hidden files that are not visible in the standard manager.

Top.-5 Why the Other is Growing on Xiaomi

In practice, 80 percent of the cases of "Other" inflating are related to five key factors, and let's go through them in detail, and that will help prevent the problem in the future.

A good example: if you are actively using MIUI-So, if you have a dual app or a second space, each clone creates a cache that also goes to the other, for example, if you have a duplicate Telegram, the cache will be counted separately from the main account.

Step-by-step: how to clean the “Other” on Xiaomi

Now, let's get to the practice. Here's a step-by-step algorithm that will help you make room without risking the system. Follow the instructions consistently so you don't miss important details.

Step 1: Cleaning the application cache

The safest way is to remove the cache for individual programs:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (such as Telegram or Chrome).
3. Press "Storage» → «Clear the cache».

For mass cleaning:

1. Go to Settings → Storage → Cleaning.
2. Select “App Cache” and confirm the deletion.

Step 2: Delete unnecessary APKs and temporary files

Use Files by Google or the built-in “Cleaner” in MIUI:

• 📁 Open the Downloads section and delete old.apk files.
• 🗑️ In “Cleaning” select “Unnecessary” APK» and “Temporary files».

Step 3: Cleaning of thumbnails and previews

The thumbnail folder is usually hidden to clear it.

1. Connect your phone to your PC and enable the display of hidden files.
2. Go to Internal Storage →.thumbnails.
3. Delete all files inside (they will be recreated automatically).

Step 4: Remove System Logs (for Advanced)

If you have ADB, follow the commands:

adb shell


su




rm -rf /data/log/*




rm -rf /data/tombstones/*




rm -rf /data/anr/*

Without root, these folders cannot be cleaned.

Step 5: Reset the Other through Safe Mode

If nothing works, try booting into Safe Mode (hold the power button → “Reboot in Safe Mode”) and re-cleaning. This mode only runs system applications, so it’s easier to identify problem files.

Clear the cache of individual applications|Remove the old ones APK from Download»|Check the folder.thumbnails|Clear temporary files through the “Cleaner»|Delete logs through ADB (if there is root)-->

What can I not remove from the “other”?

Not all files in "Other" are safe to erase, but here's a list of things you shouldn't touch (unless you're an expert):

• 📁 folder /data/dalvik-cache — It contains optimized files for fast application loading, and deleting them will slow down the system.
• 🔧 Lib and Odex files are the system libraries required for the work MIUI.
• 📱 Folders. /data/data/com.android.* — Data from system applications (e.g. Google Services) may cause failures.
• 🔒 Encrypted files (for example, in the /data/system/users/0) — Contain profile and password settings.

⚠️ Note: If you see a folder in the "Other" miui_optimization or miui_analytics, Do not remove it completely - it can disrupt the work of branded functions MIUI (So, for example, battery saving mode or ad blocking, the best you can do is clear the contents of the folder, but not the folder itself.

If in doubt, it is better not to delete the file, but first search the Internet for information about it. For example, the folder com.xiaomi.midrop refers to the Mi Drop function, and deleting it will turn off this feature.

How can we prevent the “Other” from growing in the future?

To prevent the “Other” from taking up gigabytes of memory every couple of months, follow these recommendations:

• 🔄 Set up automatic cache cleaning in MIUI: Settings → Warehouse → Cleanup → Autocleaning (set a schedule, for example, once a week).
• 📱 Limit the cache for messengers: in Telegram it is done in Settings → Data and memory → Use of memory.
• 🎮 Move the games to SD-Card (if supported) or use cloud-based saves.
• 📸 Turn off the creation of thumbnails in the gallery: Gallery settings → Additionally. → Turn off the thumbnails.
• 🔧 Check “Downloads” regularly – remove unnecessary ones APK archives.

It is also useful to disable unnecessary system logs if you are not a developer:

1. Activate Developer Mode (7 times click on MIUI Version in Settings → About Phone).
2. Go to Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Turn off "Error Log" and "Debugging by" USB».

💡

Regular cleaning of the cache and disabling unnecessary logs reduce the volume of the "Other" by 30-50% in a month.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the “Other” in Xiaomi’s storage